Women in Sialkot say they would prefer to stay in the city because that would save them the trouble of uncomfortable commuting. Not many factories in the city provide transport to their workers and even those that do have probably never considered providing hostel facilities. Women on their own have tried to arrange for housing by approaching the owners of properties but their efforts have been in vain because hefty sums of money are demanded in rent. In any case these lodgings are unsafe for single women. In these circumstances it is incumbent upon the provincial government to build a proper women’s hostel. A few years ago, the provincial minister for women development had promised to construct a hostel in Sialkot but so far not a brick has been laid for that cause. While the Punjab government focuses on the repair and rehabilitation of 10 of the 16 women’s hostels in other districts, it ought to pay some attention to Sialkot.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2017.
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